Match-box.



L. C. FRAVER & l. E. WILLIAMS.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. 1914.

Patented June 15, 1915.

amomdons LC, FRFWER "'HENURRIS PETERS 60.. PHOID-LITHON WASHINGTON, D,C.

LEWIS C. FRAVER AND IRVIN E. WILLIAMS, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MATCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Lnwrs C. FRAVER and IRVIN E. WILLIAMS, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMatch-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in match boxes,and particularly to that class of match boxes which are of the singledelivery type.

An object of this invention is the provision of a match box in whichmeans are provided to ignite each match as the same is withdrawn fromthe box so that the provision of a match scratcher is unnecessary.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a match boxhaving an open top, the bottom of the box being spaced slightly at itsfront end from the front wall of the box and being inclined from theforward edge of the bottom to the rear edge thereof, the space betweenthe forward edge of the bottom wall and the front wall providing an exitfor the matches, springs being connected with the front wall of the boxto allow only one match to be withdrawn from the casing at one time.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a match boxhaving an exit between the bottom wall and the front wall thereofthrough which only one match at a time may be withdrawn, the side wallsof the box carrying spring arms, the lower ends of the arms beingdisposed below the exit or the opposite sides of the box and converginginwardly, and the inner faces of the arms having abrasive plates securedthereto, whereby when a match is withdrawn from the box the head of thematch is rubbed against one of the abrasive plates carried by the springarms so that the match is ignited automatically.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, to behereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view ofour improved match box; Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the line 22 ofFig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the lowerend of the match box.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the box consists of a rearwall 1, front wall 2-, side walls 3 and bottom wall 1, the box havingan'open top through which the matches may be placed therein. The rearwall projects above the horizontal plane of the upper edge of the frontwall slightly, and is provided with an opening 5 therein, through whicha fastening. device may be passed to suspend the box on the side wall ofa room or the like. The lower edge of the rear wall is also disposedabove the horizontal plane of the lower edge of the front wall, and thebottom wall 4 is spaced slightly from the lower edge of the front wallto provide an exit 6 from which the matches are adapted to be withdrawnfrom the box, the bottom wall being inclined upwardly from its forwardedge to the rear edge thereof, so that the matches will gravitatedownwardly upon the bottom wall to the exit.

I Secured to the inner face of the front wall 2 at its lower edge aresprings 7, the lower ends of which are curved inwardly as at 8 to extendacross the exit of the box, to prevent the matches from accidentallyescaping from the box. Secured at their upper ends to the outer faces ofthe side walls 3 of the box are spring arms 9, the lower ends of thearms 9 projecting below the lower end of the box and being convergedtoward each other below the box as at 10. Secured to the inner faces ofthe converging ends 10 of the springs by glue or other adhesivematerial, are abrasive plates 11 of sand paper or the like, the portions10 of the arms supporting the plates 11 being disposed below theopposite ends of the exit 6 of the box, so that as a match is withdrawnthe head thereof will engage one of the plates 11 carried upon theinwardly converging ends 10 of the spring arms. As the width of the boxis substantially the same as the length of the matches containedtherein, it will be seen that owing to the converging relation of theends 10 to the arms 9, the matches can not be withdrawn from the boxwithout engaging the heads of the matches against one of the plates 11supported upon the arms to ignite the matches. To permit the fingers toeasily engage a match to withdraw the same from the box, a recess 12 isformed to the lower end ofthe front wall 2 intermediate of its sideedges, and a similar recess 13 is formed in the bottom wall 4 of thebox, so

that the fingers may be readily disposed in the recesses to graspthematch supported upon the springs 8 so that the match may be withdrawnfrom the casing against the tension of the springs.

In the practical use of our invention, the box is filled with matchesthrough the open top thereof, the matches engaging the inclined lowerwall a of the box so that the same gravitate toward the exit 6, wherebya match may always be disposed upon the inwardly extending ends 8 of thesprings. To remove a match, the fingers are inserted in the recesses 12and 13 to engage the match supported upon the springs, the match beingwithdrawn through the exit against the tension of the springs, and asthe same is withdrawn the head thereof is engaged against one of theplates 11 so that the match is ignited. It will be seen that the ends 8of the springs immediately assume their normal position after the matchhas been removed, so that accidental removal of more than one match at atime is prevented.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it will be seen that we have provided a match box, from'whichonly one match may be removed at a time, the matches being automaticallyignited as the same are withdrawn from the casing owing to the abrasiveplates disposed below the opposite ends of the exit, each match beingignited regardless of which side of the box the head of the match isdisposed.

what we desire to claim and secure by Let- 7 ters Patent is A match boxhaving a front wall, side walls and. an inclined bottom wall, theforward edge of the bottom wall being spaced from the front wall toprovide an exit of substantially the same width as the diameter of amatch, and having a length equal to that of a match, the front wallbeing cut away at itsmiddle, and the bottom wall being correspondingly.cutaway, springs secured each at one end of the front wall adjacent itslower edge, said springs extending downward and rearward, and acrosssaid exit opening, the springs being disposed one at each sideiof thecut away portion of the front wall, and resilient igniting membersextending'downward from the sides of the box and being bent inward anddownward, the space between the lower ends of the springs beingapproximately equalto that of the cut away portion of the box.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

V LEWVIS C. FRAVER. IRVIN E. WILLIAMS. Witnesses: SAMUEL A. Bioxnn,

EDWARD H. SANDSBORN.

. Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the p'o nnii ssioner of ,IEatents,

Washington, I). 0. r

